A photo journal of life on America's rails and couches

September 16, 2008

Alternative transportation: Austin to New Orleans, part 2

We were warned not to travel through Houston and Beaumont due to fuel shortages, but I-10 is the only viable route to New Orleans. We looked for an extra gas can, but it seemed like thousands of other people before us had the same idea. So we just burned through.

It looked like about half of the gas stations that we saw were closed, and the other half had lines around the block, sometimes supervised by police. Considering the size of the storm, it seems like Houston is quickly getting back on its feet. Filing into Houston on I-10 from Louisiana was near-continuous string of emergency and utilities vehicles, hundreds and hundreds of them in a swarm.

The damage stretched from Houston to well into Louisiana. I don't know much about hurricanes, but that seems substantial. Let's hope these people can get back to 100% soon.